Pope Francis appointed a Filipino priest as the new undersecretary of a section of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Evangelization.
Msgr. Erwin Jose Balagapo has been serving as head of office in the section “for the first evangelization and new particular churches” since July 2023 when he was named by the Pope to his new role.
The department is currently led by Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, former archbishop of Manila, in his role as pro-prefect.
Headed by Pope Francis, the dicastery is divided into two sections. The other section, for Fundamental Questions regarding Evangelization in the World, is led by Archbishop Rino Fisichella as pro-prefect.
Msgr. Balagapo, 53, hails from Sulat—a small town in Eastern Samar province.
Ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Palo in 1996, he has held several roles, including professor of canon law, head of ongoing formation for the clergy, judicial vicar, and chancellor of the archdiocese.
In Rome, he earned a Doctorate in Canon Law from the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross and a Licentiate in Moral Theology from the former Pontifical Institute “John Paul II.”
As a canon lawyer, he has worked at the Vatican dicastery since 2015, following his advanced studies in Rome.
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